Occupy Cal members watch as Sproul steps cleaned

About 10 Occupy Cal demonstrators watched as clean-up crews tore down the teepee on the lawn in front of Sproul Hall and power washed the chalk off the hall’s steps early Sunday morning.

For some participants, this signaled the end of Occupy Cal for the semester, while others planned on returning later Sunday once the cleaning ended.

“It needs to be cleaned, but we’ll be back,” said Lauren Henry, a Berkeley resident who was sleeping in the teepee when the clean-up crew started to tear it down.

Police officers came to Sproul several times Saturday to announce the cleaning, triggering an emergency tweet alert from CalOccupation stating that “Individuals sleeping on Sproul are requesting immediate help in response to police threat: ‘the university has decided this event is over.’”

After a flurry of retweets, an emergency general assembly was called Saturday evening with around 20 participants, according to Michael Smith, a Seattle resident involved in the movement.

After the general assembly, members of Occupy Cal began moving supplies and items, according to senior Adam Braman.

Around 4 a.m., police officers returned and began to reinforce the no-sleeping rule, Braman said. Protesters are not allowed to sleep on the steps of Sproul, but the rule has not been regularly enforced, according to Eden.

At about 7:20 a.m., cleaning crews began taking down signs, posters and artwork and using a power hose to spray the chalk and paint, Braman said.

A sign across Sproul Hall pillars stating “Welcome to the Open University” was the only physical reminder of Occupy Cal left around 9:00 a.m.

By 11 a.m., the word “love” had been written in chalk on Sproul Hall pillars and a cardboard heart, two chairs, a few flowers and a sign were left on the steps.

Another general assembly is planned for Monday to discuss the immediate future of Occupy Cal, according to Eden.

“It might be smart to just shut down tonight, especially since there will be even less support now because it’s finals week, but I can still see a bunch of people not wanting to give up this yet,” Braman said. “I can see a lot of people wanting us to end Occupy on our own terms.”

I had forgotten how nice Sproul Hall look! It looked so clean when I pass by there earlier. Can we please keep it that way.

Dylan

“It might be smart to just shut down tonight, especially since there will be even less support now because it’s finals week”
Wow, that’s some hardcore commitment right there…

Guest123

Probably the same amount of commitment you have to your wife.

GoCalstudents

Having the ability to know when to take a step back and group is not only hardcore, but smart.

Anonymous

Wow, a military tactician.

Lauren

stanly you dont know what you are talking about. The police did beat up the students. I was here from the start of the occupation to the end. Ive witnessed it first hand with my own eyes. You should get your story straight before you speak..

Emma Watson

I hope they used chlorine.

What’s new

Stick the fork in Occupy — it’s done.

Over in Oakland, people are abandoning Occupy and calling them 99%ers instead cuz Occupy is into violent confrontations. They say they support the 99%, but the union members who drive trucks and need money are about to be fuked by Occupy when they shut down the port tomorrow. Unions are asking Occupy not to do this, but they got SCREW YOU in response.

The real joke is that these numb-nuts are taking sides among the losing faction in a certification squabble between two different labor unions. There’s no compelling interest or reason for any Cal student who isn’t a longshoreman to get involved. Only reason they are involved is that the Occupy Cal types are complete tools and useful idiots who flock to protest events like flies to shit…